By Lynn R. Mitchell
The sounds of Christmas will be performed by the Stonewall Brigade Band, the oldest-continuous among over 2,000 community bands in the nation, when they present their annual Christmas Concert that is free to the public. Held on Monday, December 15, 2014, at 7:30 p.m., this band that performs every summer in Gypsy Hill Park will be at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.
Consisting of 70-80 playing members, the Stonewall Brigade Band has a rich history. Organized in 1857 as the Mountain Saxhorn Band, its name was changed when it mustered in General Thomas (Stonewall) Jackson’s First Brigade, the Army of the Shenandoah. They performed in concerts in Fredericksburg, Richmond, Staunton, and other Virginia locations as they helped in recruitment rallies, clothing drives, and war relief fund raising, and entertained the troops in the field.
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church is located at 2000 Shutterlee Mill Road in Staunton.
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